Balmain's Olivier Rousteing is his own man

Luxury brand Balmain has always been controversial among editors. The brand rose to fame in the late 2000s with its in-your-face embellished jackets, extortionately priced ripped jeans and must-see fashion shows styled by the cool French Vogue editor Emmanuel Alt.

Customers loved it, but critics were on the fence. Then at the height of Balmainia, creative director Christophe Decarnin stepped down, leaving a big hole to fill. More than a few eyebrows were raised when the job went to Decarnin's second in command, the young, handsome and relatively unknown Olivier Rousteing.

"I was really scared about disappointing people that believed in me, like my team. But I knew things were going to be different, because it was under my control," says Rousteing, who was 25 when he landed the job.

One year later, he seems to have found his groove. Last week he visited Hong Kong for the first time to visit Balmain's first freestanding store here, in Harbour City, and to meet customers that include pop singer Sandy Lam Yik-lin and model Qiqi Yam.

Rousteing says he wanted to experience Asia in person.

"It's important to know Hong Kong, because we are hoping to open more boutiques, including one in Pacific Place next year. I wanted to come to see the culture," he says.